Starfield VPA-1 and VPA-50 Pre Amp and 50/50 Power Amp 1980

This is a once‑in‑a‑decade find. A complete Starfield SVA‑1 preamp + VPA-1 50/50 rack system is almost mythical — and the tone lives up to the legend. Huge stereo spread, beautiful cleans, snarling overdrive, and enough routing flexibility to satisfy any working guitarist!!

The Preamp: SVA‑1 (2U) — Clean, Crunch & Scream

A dual‑channel all‑valve preamp with that unmistakable British/American hybrid flavour:

• Clean/Crunch channel with Bright switch

• Overdrive channel with Scream switch for extra gain

• Independent gain + volume per channel

• Master EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence)

• Master High‑Cut switch for taming top‑end bite

• Three footswitchable functions: Channel / Crunch / Scream

• Dual mono FX loops (one per channel)

• Stereo parallel line outs for wet/dry/wet or studio routing

This preamp is famous for its chewy, record‑ready overdrive and huge clean headroom. It’s the sound of the late‑80s rack era, but warmer, punchier, and more alive.

The Power Amp: Starfield 50/50 (4U) — True Stereo Valve Power

A proper stereo valve power section delivering 2×50 watts using 6L6GC tubes:

• Two fully independent 50W power amps

• 6L6GC output section — tight, fast, punchy

• 4Ω and 8Ω outputs per side

• Perfect for stereo rigs, wet/dry setups, or dual‑cabinet touring

• Voltage selector: 100V / 120V / 220V / 240V

• Includes EU and UK IEC cables

This is the same legendary power section known for its clarity, speed, and massive stereo spread. In a rack, it’s fantastic!

Starfield were a tiny UK builder based out of Leeds under the Ibanez brand — boutique before boutique was a thing. Their rack systems were used by session players who needed reliability, tone shaping, and true stereo valve power. Production numbers were tiny, and surviving matched pairs are almost unheard of, true hand built hand wired!

If you’re into wet/dry stereo, chorused Britpop tones, studio‑grade flexibility, or simply want one of the rarest UK‑built rack systems ever made, this is the one.

Extras

• Fully original

• Voltage selector for worldwide use

• Includes two IEC cables (EU + UK)

• Tons of routing options for modern rigs

• A genuine collector’s piece and a gig‑ready monster

This is easily equivalent to mesa boogie class similar power amps alone at a fraction of the price, the rack case comes with it, as you’d expect it is heavy and postage is not available. I live in Cornwall though and regularly go to Bristol so happy to arrange a meet up.

It also comes with a full service documented only weeks ago where two of the four preamp valves were replaced. There are a few knob displays missing but there is nothing wrong with the performance and any testing/trying is welcomed.